1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electronic appliance and a startup method, particularly to an electronic appliance and a startup method which shortens a sensible starting time
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, market expansion is expected for a camera apparatus that is connected to networks via communications through USB (Universal Serial Bus), or communications conforming to radio LAN (Local Area Network) or Bluetooth (trademark), and a camera apparatus that utilizes a large capacity recording medium such as a flash memory or HDD (Hard Disk Drive).
In order to meet the connection to networks and the access to a large capacity recording medium, the scale of software to be developed becomes large, and in order to develop it efficiently, the necessity arises that a high performance operating system (hereinafter, referred to as OS (Operating System)) is mounted and executed on a camera apparatus.
With the use of a high performance operating system, a software module such as a driver is prepared and run after startup, whereby various functions such as the function of connecting to networks and the function of access to a recording medium can be relatively easily mounted on a camera apparatus.
FIG. 1 shows a block diagram depicting the configuration of a related-art camera apparatus.
A camera apparatus is configured of a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 11, a memory 12, a flash memory 13, a CPU 14, a memory 15, a flash memory 16, a liquid crystal display panel control IC (Integrated Circuit) 17, a liquid crystal display panel 18, an imaging part 19, a signal control CODEC (COder/DECoder) 20, a medium I/O (Input/Output) 21, a recording medium 22, a button input interface 23, a power source button 24, a medium eject button 25, a zoom button 26, a liquid crystal display panel on/off button 27, a record button 28, and a communication control IC 29.
The CPU 11, the memory 12, the flash memory 13, the CPU 14, the memory 15, the flash memory 16, the liquid crystal display panel control IC 17, the imaging part 19, the signal control CODEC 20, the medium I/O 21, the button input interface 23, and the communication control IC 29 are connected through a control bus.
The CPU 11 executes programs such as an operating system or application programs stored in the memory 12, and processes the user interface. Here, the processing of the user interface is that a predetermined process is performed in response to operations done by a user, or that the presentation and notification of information are performed for a user.
The memory 12 stores therein programs executed by the CPU 11 and temporal data necessary to execute programs. In FIG. 1, data to be stored in the memory 12 is depicted by dotted lines, which indicate that these items of data are temporarily stored.
An application program 41 which is indicated as data temporarily stored in the memory 12 is the same program as an application program 31 stored in the flash memory 13, and user configuration data 42 is the same data as user configuration data 32 stored in the flash memory 13. When the power source button 24 is pressed, for example, to start the camera apparatus, the application program 31 and the user configuration data 32 stored in the flash memory 13 are copied, whereby the application program 41 and the user configuration data 42 are stored in the memory 12.
Startup factor data 43 is data that indicates the startup factor of the camera apparatus, which is stored in the memory 12 by the CPU 11 when the camera apparatus is started up.
Display image data 44 is data that displays an image on the liquid crystal display panel 18. For example, when an image is displayed on the liquid crystal display panel 18 based on image data stored on the recording medium 22, data is read out of the recording medium 22, decoded by the signal control CODEC 20, obtained, and then stored as the display image data 44 in the memory 12.
Stream data 45 is data of moving images to be recorded on the recording medium 22, which is stored in the memory 12 during recording. Image signals captured by the imaging part 19 during recording are encoded by the signal control CODEC 20, and data obtained by coding is stored as the stream data 45.
The flash memory 13 is a non-volatile memory, which stores therein programs and various items of data. In the example shown in FIG. 1, the flash memory 13 is stored therein with the application program 31 that is a program run by the CPU 11 by copying it on the memory 12, and the user configuration data 32 that is data indicating a set value done by a user on the operation of the camera apparatus such as shooting operation.
The CPU 14 executes a program such as the operating system or the application program stored in the memory 15, and controls the imaging part 19 and the signal control CODEC 20. As described above, the camera apparatus is provided with two CPUs. The CPU 11, one of the CPUs, processes the user interface, and the CPU 14, the other of the CPUs, controls imaging and signals in accordance with the instructions by the CPU 11.
The memory 15 stores therein programs executed by the CPU 14 and temporal data necessary to execute programs.
In the example shown in FIG. 1, an application program 61 that is the same program as the application program 51 stored in the flash memory 16 is shown as data to be temporarily stored in the memory 15. When the camera apparatus is started up, the application program 51 stored in the flash memory 16 is copied, whereby the application program 61 is stored in the memory 15.
The flash memory 16 is a non-volatile memory, which stores various items of data such as the application program 51 that is a program run by the CPU 14 by copying it on the memory 15.
The liquid crystal display panel control IC 17 controls display on the liquid crystal display panel 18.
The liquid crystal display panel 18 displays various images and text based on the control done by the liquid crystal display panel control IC 17.
The imaging part 19 is formed of a lens or a photoelectric conversion element, which converts optical images captured through a lens into image signals that are electrical signals, and supplies the converted and obtained image signals to the signal control CODEC 20.
The signal control CODEC 20 encodes the image signals supplied from the imaging part 19, and generates image data. The image data generated by the signal control CODEC 20 is temporarily stored as the stream data 45 in the memory 12, and then recorded on the recording medium 22 through the medium I/O 21.
In addition, the signal control CODEC 20 decodes the image data recorded on the recording medium 22, and allows the liquid crystal display panel control IC 17 to display an image on the screen of the liquid crystal display panel 18 based on the data decoded and obtained.
The medium I/O 21 is an interface of the recording medium 22. The medium I/O 21 writes data on the recording medium 22, and reads data recorded on the recording medium 22.
The recording medium 22 is formed of an optical disk and its drive, or a semiconductor memory, or HDD, which records thereon the image data supplied through the medium I/O 21 and encoded by the signal control CODEC 20. The image data recorded on the recording medium 22 is properly read by the medium I/O 21, and used for display of images.
The CPU 11 and the CPU 14 communicate through the communication control IC 29. When the CPU 11 reads data to the communication control IC 29, the communication control IC 29 generates an interrupt signal to the CPU 14, and the CPU 14 reads data written by the CPU 11 out of the communication control IC 29. In addition, when the CPU 14 writes data to the communication control IC 29, the communication control IC 29 generates an interrupt signal to the CPU 11, and the CPU 11 reads data written by the CPU 14 out of the communication control IC 29. Therefore, communications are made between the CPU 11 and the CPU 14.
The button input interface 23 is an input interface for the power source button 24, the medium eject button 25, the zoom button 26, the liquid crystal display panel on/off button 27, and the record button 28, which receives a signal of a button pressed, and supplies a signal corresponding to the pressed button to the CPU 11 through the control bus.
The power source button 24 is a button that is pressed at the time of turning on or off the power source.
In the case in which the recording medium 22 is formed of an optical disk and its drive, the medium eject button 25 is a button that is pressed at the time of ejecting the optical disk.
In the case in which the recording medium 22 is formed of an optical disk and its drive and the medium eject button 25 is pressed in the state in which the power source of the camera apparatus is off, the camera apparatus is temporarily started to eject the optical disk. In other words, for the startup factor of the camera apparatus, there are at least two factors that the power source button 24 is pressed in the state in which the power source is off, and that the medium eject button 25 is pressed in the state in which the power source is off. The startup factor data 43 stored in the memory 12 indicates any one of these two factors.
The zoom button 26 is a button that is pressed at the time of zooming in or zooming out.
The liquid crystal display panel on/off button 27 is a button that is pressed at the time of starting display on the liquid crystal display panel 18, or ending display on the liquid crystal display panel 18.
The record button 28 is a button that is pressed at the time of recording, that is, at the time of starting recording the image data that is encoded and obtained on the recording medium 22.
FIG. 2 shows a diagram depicting the process sequence of starting a related-art camera apparatus having the configuration above.
The band shown on the upper stage in FIG. 2 depicts the process sequence of the CPU 11, and the band shown on the middle stage depicts the process sequence of the CPU 14. The lower stage depicts the descriptions of the screen displayed on the liquid crystal display panel 18. The lateral direction in FIG. 2 indicates the temporal direction.
When the power source button 24 is pressed, the CPU 11 starts boot an OS and the CPU 14 starts boot an OS at the same time. When the startup of the OS by the CPU 11 is completed, a module such as a driver is loaded, and the loaded module is executed by the CPU 11.
In the camera apparatus shown in FIG. 1, since the CPU 11 performs the process of the user interface, at the point in time when the CPU 11 starts boot the OS (at the point in time at which the boot of the OS is not completed), nothing is displayed on the liquid crystal display panel 18, and the screen displayed on the liquid crystal display panel 18 remains black.
Moreover, in the camera apparatus shown in FIG. 1, the OS executed by the CPU 11 is a higher performance OS than the OS executed by the CPU 14, which is necessary to load and run various modules after booting in order to start the process of the user interface.
Therefore, suppose the time period until the process of the user interface can be started including the time period taken to load and run modules is the time period necessary to boot the OS run by the CPU 11, the time period is longer than the time period necessary to boot the OS run by the CPU 14. The OS run by the CPU 14 is configured in which it is unnecessary to load and run various modules after booting, and the application program is run after booting to start imaging control and signal control that are primary functions.
When the booting of the OS run by the CPU 14 is completed, the CPU 14 copies the application program 51 stored in the flash memory 16 to the memory 15, and executes the application program 61 stored in the memory 15, whereby it starts imaging control and signal control, that is, it starts control over the imaging part 19 and the signal control CODEC 20. Before the booting of the OS by the CPU 11 is completed, the CPU 14 starts control over the imaging part 19 and the signal control CODEC 20.
When the booting of the OS is completed and the execution of the loaded modules such as a driver is also completed, after the CPU 14 starts processing, the CPU 11 starts the process of the user interface. The process of the user interface is performed by copying the application program 31 stored in the flash memory 13 to the memory 12 in accordance with the application program 41 stored in the memory 12.
For example, the CPU 11 instructs the CPU 14 to allow the liquid crystal display panel control IC 17 to start display on the liquid crystal display panel 18, to display a startup screen on the liquid crystal display panel 18 and to output a startup beep from a speaker, not shown. In addition, it also instructs the CPU 14 to boot the imaging part 19.
When the booting of the imaging part 19 is instructed by the CPU 11, the CPU 14 boots the imaging part 19. In addition, the CPU 14 sets the operation of the imaging part 19 in accordance with adjustment done by a user shown from the user configuration data 42 stored in the memory 12. When the booting of the imaging part 19 and the setting of its operation are completed, an image taken by the imaging part 19 is displayed on the liquid crystal display panel 18.
When the image taken by the imaging part 19 is displayed on the liquid crystal display panel 18, the CPU 11 accepts the adjustment of framing in accordance with user's zooming operation done by using the zoom button 26.
At the timing slightly behind the timing at which the booting of the imaging part 19 and the setting of the operation of the imaging part 19 are completed and the framing adjustment is allowed, recording is allowed. In response to the press of the record button 28 to instruct starting recording, the CPU 11 instructs the CPU 14 to start recording.
The CPU 14 instructed to start recording controls the imaging part 19 and the signal control CODEC 20 to start recording. At this time, the CPU 11 instructs the CPU 14 to display information indicating that an image is being recorded and the time period from the start of recording on the liquid crystal display panel 18 as overlaid on the image being taken by the imaging part 19, and the CPU 14 controls the liquid crystal display panel control IC 17 based on the instruction from the CPU 11.
The process of starting the related-art camera apparatus is performed in accordance with the flow described above.
JP-A-2002-237977 discloses a technique in which shooting is prepared when the power source is turned on based on management information of a recording medium stored in a memory, whereby the starting time can be shortened.